Boat



Dec. 19, 1961 E. F. CRIPPIN', SR

BOAT

Filed Sept. 11, 1959 INVENTOR.

Emp/ 0v /'/7 Jr ATTOR/V Y.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,013,284 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 3,013,284BOAT Elmer F. Crippin, Sn, RR. 2, Fennville, Mich. Filed Sept. 11, 1959,Ser. No. 839,528 Claims. (Cl. 9--6) This invention relates toimprovements in boats and the like. The principal objects of thisinvention are:

First, to provide a boat having wood walls which are substantiallyleak-proof even when subjected to drying out as occurs when a boat is innon-use, out-of-water position.

Second, to provide a boat having walls, the joining edges of the partsof which are reinforced: that is, they are non-springably supportedrelative to each other.

Further objects relating to details and economies of the invention willappear from the description to follow. The invention is defined andpointed out in the claims. A preferred embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation view of a boat embodying myinvention mainly shown conventionally.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a line corresponding toline 2-2 of FIG. 1.

In the accompanying drawing I have only shown a fragmentary sideelevation view of a boat, but it should be understood that a boat may beof varying design and comprises walls designated generally by the number1, and the keel number 2. The walls of the boat are made up of aplurality of wall members 3 of wood disposed in edge to edge relation,with adjacent edges 4 of the angularly disposed wall members thereofbeveled, as is illustrated in FIG. 2, to secure the desired crosssectional shape. A complete boat is not illustrated because they varygreatly in shape and size, but it should be understood that the woodwall members 3 commonly extend from end to end of the boat, although inlarge boats they may be spliced. Meeting edges of the wall members 3 areprovided with registering kerfs 5 extending longitudinally thereof. Theportion of the wall members surrounding these kerfs and preferably theentire end edges are impregnated with water-proof material indicated bythe dotted area 6. In the preferred embodiment shown.

in FIG. 2 splines are provided for these meeting edges consisting ofspline members 7 desirably formed of springable material and havingcurved inner edge portions 8 fittingly engaging the inner ends of thekerfs, with the edges of these edge portions outwardly relative to thekerfs and embeddingly engaged in the wall of the kerfs, as isillustrated at 9. These spline members are desirably somewhat curved asillustrated and are arranged in telescoping, overlapping relation andunder a springable engagement. An eifective seal is provided for thejoints between the members 3, even though substantial contraction andexpansion may result from the alternate drying out and wetting of theboat wall. It is fairly common practice for row boats, for example, tobe hauled onto land, or partially so, or onto a dock when not in use;and under varying conditions the walls of the boat may shrink so thatthe boat leaks when placed in the water. With the splines of myinvention that difficulty is effectively overcome, and it is overcome inan economical manner. The installing of the kerfs in the wall members isa simple matter, as is also the insertion of the spline members so thatwhen the wall members are assembled in a complete structure they are notonly reinforced but rendered substantially leak-proof.

As stated, I have illustrated and described my invention as embodied inboats of the row boat type, but it should be understood that it isadapted for use and desirable in boats and other structures which aresubject to alternate drying and wetting conditions, and it has thefurther advantage of reinforcing the joints between the connectedsections. I have not attempted to illustrate and describe these varyingadaptations, as it is believed that disclosure might enable thoseskilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A boat comprising a plurality of elongated longitudinally extendingwall members of wood disposed edge to edge, said wall members havingregistering kerfs in their opposed longitudinal edges, the walls of thekerfs and the meeting edges of said wall members being impregnated to asubstantial depth with a water resisting medium, and splines comprisingcoacting pairs of elongated spline members extending longitudinally ofsaid wall members and having curved inner edge portions supportedlyengaged with the bottoms of the kerfs with the edges of said curved edgeportions facing outwardly relative to the kerfs and in retainingimbedded engagement with walls of the kerfs, said spline members beingin springable overlapping engagement with each other, with each splinemember projecting into the kerf opposite that in which it is retaininglyengaged.

2. A boat comprising a plurality of elongated longitudinally extendingwell members of wood disposed edge to edge, said wall members havingregistering kerfs in their opposed longitudinal edges, and splinescomprising coacting pairs of elongated spline members extendinglongitudinally of said wall members and having curved inner edgeportions supportedly engaged with the bottoms of the kerfs with theedges of said curved edge portions facing outwardly relative to thekerfs and in retaining imbedded engagement with walls of the kerfs, saidspline members being in springable overlapping engagement with eachother.

3. A boat comprising a plurality of elongated longitudinally extendingwall members, said wall members having registering kerfs of substantialdepth in their opposed longitudinal edges, and splines comprisingcoacting pairs of elongated spline members extending longitudinally ofsaid wall members and having inner edge portions thereof retaininglyengaged with the walls of said kerfs and having springably yielding bodyportions at the outer sides of their retainingly engaged portionsdisposed in overlapping slidable engagement with each other with eachspline member projecting into the kerf opposite that in which it isretainingly engaged.

4. A boat comprising a plurality of elongated longitudinally extendingwall members having aligned kerfs of substantial depth in their opposedlongitudinaledges, and splines comprising coacting pairs of elongatedmembers extending longitudinally of said wall members and having theirinner edges retainingly secured in said kerfs, said spline membershaving transversely curved springable portions at the outer sides oftheir said secured portions and being disposed in overlapping springablyyielding sliding engagement with each other, each spline memherprojecting into the kerf opposite to that in which it is retaininglysecured.

5. A boat comprising a plurality of elongated longitudinally extendingwall members having aligned kerfs of substantial depth in their opposedlongitudinal edges, and splines comprising coacting pairs of elongatedmembers extending longitudinally of said wall members and having theirinner edges retainingly secured in said kerfs, said spline membershaving portions at the outer sides of their said secured portions andbeing disposed in overlapping springably yielding sliding engagementwith each other, each spline member projecting into the kerf opposite tothat in which it is retainingly secured.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSDantzebecher Feb. 28, 1905 Hopkins Nov. 13, 1923 Turner et al. Feb. 19,1935 Muench Feb. 15, 1944 Braun Jan. 6, 1959

